In 2011, a group of people in the Birmingham area saw a disturbing trend: golden retrievers were being abandoned with few people to help them find new homes. This group came together to form a nonprofit, Adopt A Golden Birmingham.

Fast forward to 2020, and they are celebrating their 1,000th rescued dog, Happy. The 34-pound orphan is heartworm negative, vaccinated and microchipped. A veterinarian check indicates the strikingly handsome dog has a good temperament, is overall healthy, and is great with other animals. He’s also house and crate trained.

“Not every dog that comes through the doors at AGB is in such great shape,” said AGB President John Sellers. “Over the past nine years, we have found homes for hundreds of dogs and some have come from severe abuse, neglect, fear and inhumane conditions. We look forward to rescuing another thousand and more in the coming years.”

AGB’s mission is to find safe, loving, lifelong homes for golden retrievers and golden retriever mixes throughout the metro Birmingham region. No golden retriever will be turned away, regardless of medical needs or age. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, AGB is intent on educating and assisting the general public — and dog owners specifically — regarding issues such as responsible pet ownership, spay/neutering, obedience training, and heartworm prevention. Their goal is to reduce the number of Golden Retrievers sent to shelters or surrendered.

Learn more about AGB by visiting their website, or following them on Facebook or Instagram.